music

This spring is shaping up to be a very busy one, full of new music performance! I’m happy to announce that after 5 years (and a couple of re-auditions), I am once again a member of C4: The Composer/Conductor Collective. This ensemble performs music only written in the past 25 years, and most members are either composers or conductors (or both). I had 2 pieces premiered by C4 back in the day, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be back! We will gig here and there and have a concert in the beginning of March.

With Continuo Arts, I’ll be in the original show choir of Paper Mill Playhouse’s Disney debut of Hunchback of Notre Dame. This is a very exciting time for the whole organization and should be an amazing (and exhausting) experience, with many, many performances to come. Once I get my performance schedule I’ll let you know.

Finally, I’m attending the New Music Gathering in a couple of weeks, the first conference of its kind – just for new music composers, performers and enthusiasts! Lots of lectures and performances and networking, all in beautiful San Francisco…can’t wait.

It looks like it will be a great winter and spring for music, and with changes at work, things are going to be busy.

Today was the People’s Climate March, a trek through Manhattan by over 300,000 people who care deeply about the state of our world. Down on 11th and 37th, a small stage was set up where performers could let their hearts out. I was lucky enough to find out and join the People’s Climate Chorus, a group of like-minded local singers. composer Josh Feintuch wrote a really incredible piece that really encapsulates the global climate change movement for me. We performed it at a climate change arts event, at the Climate Convergence last night (couldn’t attend unfortunately), and at the march today.

I had mixed feelings about the march – why did the vegan activists wrap their food in Saran Wrap? Why did so many other topics come up (like occupy and socialism)? I was afraid that it was going to dissolve into a mess of progressive ideas and lose focus, but it didn’t. It was peaceful, joyful, and overall focused on the topic at hand.

There’s something amazing about singing for something greater than yourself. I always went after random paid gigs to feel “professional,” but volunteering for something like this has far more meaning. I’m just really glad to have had the opportunity. This group might turn into a more general “People’s Chorus,” advocating through singing, so I’ll let you know if anything happens on that front!

While the summer has been amazing overall, things have gotten rough over the past couple of weeks. Besides many tragic world events that I can’t seem to get out of my mind, we’ve had our share of tragedies and issues at my job as of late. I felt more depressed than I’d been in months…the death of Robin Williams was the last straw, and I finally had to cry it out.

In the end though, I found all of this to be life-affirming. Williams’ death reminded me of my own struggles with mental illness, and realizing both how far I’ve come and what an amazing support system I have put a smile on my face. I saw just how much I care about my job and the people I work with, how important pursuing music is to me, and how loved I feel by family and friends.

Things are definitely looking up. The RWO concert is tomorrow (!!), my husband landed an amazing new job, and family vacation is coming up soon. I’ve gotten to see my friends, go down the shore, and watch many a bad movie. Our wedding anniversary is coming up at the end of the month. I’m just so grateful for it all.

I’ll be posting video (hopefully) of the RWO concert on Sunday or so (see the above rehearsal photo), and will keep everyone posted on upcoming auditions and performances. Here’s looking to a great fall.